APRIL/RGE continues deforestation

PT. RAPP operations violate government regulations and its

own sustainability policy in Pulau Padang, Riau, Sumatra

Investigative Report

Investigative Report

Eyes on the Forest

Grievance submitted to APRIL Stakeholder Advisory Committee

on 20 November 2014

Eyes on the Forest (EoF) is a coalition of environmental NGOs in Riau, Sumatra: Friends of the Earth “Walhi” Riau Office, Jikalahari "Riau Forest Rescue Network" and WWF-Indonesia, Riau Program.

EoF monitors the status of the remaining natural forests in Sumatra's Province of Riau and disseminates the information worldwide.

For more news on Eyes on the Forest, go to: http://www.eyesontheforest.or.id For photos and maps, go to: http://maps.eyesontheforest.or.id

Email: editor(at)eyesontheforest.or.id

1 | EoF (20 November 2014) APRIL/RGE continues deforestation.

1. Introduction: Business as usual deforestation and peat destruction

by APRIL continues In 1996, the Royal Golden Eagle Group’s (RGE) APRIL (Asia Pacific Resources

International Ltd.), headquartered in Singapore began operating its PT. Riau Andalan Pulp

& Paper’s pulp mill in Riau province of Sumatra. Environmental NGOs have been criticizing

the mill’s reliance on mixed tropical hardwood (MTH) from clearing High Conservation

Value Forests (HCVF) 1 and on draining and deforesting of Indonesia’s carbon-rich

peatlands. Equally strong critique has been voiced about repeated conflicts with local

communities whose lands APRIL’s wood suppliers developed under licenses issued by

government.

Despite APRIL’s initial public commitment to HCVF protection in 20052, the company has

continued indiscriminate large scale deforestation as a result of flawed HCVF identification

and its failure to protect HCVF once delineated. Local NGOs have repeatedly criticized

these failures3 and the Rainforest Alliance cancelled APRIL’s interim FSC Chain of Custody

certificate in 2010 because of them4. UPM-Kymmene5 and Fuji Xerox6 had been some of

the company’s most prominent customers before they cancelled their contracts.

On 28 January 2014, APRIL announced a Sustainable Forest Management Policy (SFMP)7, 8.

The SFMP fell well short of many NGOs’ recommendations, especially that RGE should “immediately start a moratorium on all forest and land clearance and peatland development activities in all supplier concessions, until independent High Conservation

Value (HCV) as well as High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments are finalized” and apply this for all RGE companies, not only APRIL 9.

In the SFMP, APRIL committed, among others, to the following (underline by EoF): Commitment I.a. APRIL sources fibre from non High Conservation Value Forest (“HCVF”)

areas that have been identified through independent HCV assessments, based on Indonesian HCV toolkit and peer-reviewed by HCV Resource Network;

Commitment I.b. From 28th January 2014, APRIL declares a moratorium in concession areas throughout APRIL’s fibre supply chain where HCV assessments have not been completed;

Commitment III.a. APRIL and its fibre suppliers protect and manage forested peatland areas identified as HCVF;

Commitment III.b. APRIL declares a moratorium on forested peatland areas, including

canals and other infrastructure activities, until independent HCV assessments have been completed,

Commitment IV.a. APRIL reaffirms its commitment to comply with all prevailing laws and

regulations, and requires all its fibre suppliers to do so; However, NGOs have since reported that APRIL wood suppliers continued natural forest

clearance and development of carbon rich peatlands in Riau10, 11, 12 and East Kalimantan provinces13, 14 in violation of these commitments. For this report, Eyes on the Forest (EoF) investigated continued natural forest clearance and peat canal excavation by PT. Riau

Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP) of the APRIL/RGE group inside it’s concession on Pulau Padang (“pulau” means “island” in Bahasa Indonesia).

Cover photos: Top – piles of Mixed Tropical Hardwood in Padang Island felled by PT Riau

Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP), an APRIL/RGE company, waiting to be transported along peat

canals to its pulp mill in Pangkalan Kerinci, Pelalawan, Riau. Photo taken by EoF at

N1°1'42.51", E102°19'41.92" on 10 June 2014. Below - excavator clearing a logged area in

the PT RAPP concession. Photo taken by EoF at N1°1'44.23", E102°19'22.03" on 10 June 2014.

2 | EoF (20 November 2014) APRIL/RGE continues deforestation.

2. Investigation Findings

PT. RAPP’s concession on Pulau Padang is around 34,000 hectares, occupying about a third of the 110,000 ha island. Based on our analysis of historical Landsat images to detect deforestation in relation to applicable government regulations, EoF concludes that

almost all of the natural forest clearance by PT. RAPP in Pulau Padang is in violation of one or more of the following government regulations, thus in violation of the SFMP commitment “IV.a. APRIL reaffirms its commitment to

comply with all prevailing laws and regulations, and requires all its fibre suppliers to do so”. When PT. RAPP started to operate this concession in 2011, the concession was almost fully covered by natural forests and most of the natural forests

were protected by the following regulations: � “Limited Production Forest” according to 1986 “Consensus of Forest Land Use”

(TGHK, Ministry of Forestry Decree No 173/Kpts-II/1986).

� “Protection Area” according to 1994 “Riau Spatial Planning” (RTRWP 1994).

� “Protection Area” and areas with peat of potentially 3 meters, according to Indonesian Government Regulation PP No. 26 Year 2008 on National Spatial

Planning15. � 500 meter buffer zone around the Tasik Tanjung Padang Wildlife Sanctuary16.

In June and October 2014, EoF visited the southern part of the concession and observed the company clearing forest, stacking newly cut natural forest logs and constructing canals to drain the peat for plantation development and to transport the natural forest logs to

APRIL’s pulp mill in Pangkalan Kerinci (Map 1 and 2). A Landsat image of 28 January 2014 shows that PT. RAPP started peat canal development and natural forest clearance in this area about the same day APRIL published its SFMP (see Map 3).

In October 2014, EoF investigators recorded the interface of cultivation of traditional crops by a local community who claims this land as theirs (see Chapter 3 on social conflict) and

the continuing peat development and forest clearance by PT. RAPP (Map 2).

3 | EoF (20 November 2014) APRIL/RGE continues deforestation.

Map 1.—EoF found large deforested areas and deep peat canals. Some excavators were felling natural forest trees and digging canals in

peat. Some trees were marked for cutting (4) or already cut (6). Photos taken by EoF on 10 June (1-6) or 11 June 2014 (7, 8).

1: N1°1'50.62" E102°19'21.29"

2: N1°1'44.29" E102°19'21.07" 6: N1°1'38.89", E102°19'55.23"

3: N1°1'44.23" E102°19'22.03"

7: N1°2'25.09" E102°20'59.77"

8:N1°2'0.25" E102°20'59.59"

5: N1°1'42.10" E102°19'42.24"

4: N1°1'43.44" E102°19'22.37"

4 | EoF (20 November 2014) APRIL/RGE continues deforestation.

Map 2.—Peat canal development and forest clearance by PT. RAPP (3, 4) on land claimed

by a local community and planted with traditional crops (1, 2). Photos taken by EoF on 18

October 2014.

1: N1°2'56.9" E102°19'42.3"

2: N1°2'50.11" E102°19'42.85"

3: N1°2'09.6" E102°19'40.6"

4: N1°2'09.6" E102°19'40.6"

5 | EoF (20 November 2014) APRIL/RGE continues deforestation.

3. Violations of APRIL SFMP commitments by PT. RAPP in Pulau

Padang

Based on an analysis of historical forest cover loss using Landsat images until 12

November 2014 (Map 2), EoF concludes that all natural forest clearance by PT.

RAPP in the fully peat covered Pulau Padang before and after 28 January 2014

was in violation of APRIL’s 2005 HCV protection policy and its 2014 SFMP,

specifically, the commitments quoted in the introduction (I.a., I.b., III.a., III.b).

Below is the chronological history of APRIL’s violation.

Map 3.—Deforestation inside the PT. RAPP concession (yellow border) between 23 July

2011 and 3 October 2014. Pink areas in these Landsat images show exposed soil which is

visible after forest clearance. Dark pink areas were often burned.

Mid 2011, PT. RAPP started natural forest clearance in the Pulau Padang concession when

it was still fully forested without independent and credible HCV assessment and with only

flawed “HCV assessments” by consultants17, in violation of its own 2005 HCV protection

policy. They did not follow the Indonesian HCV Toolkit properly, lacked a proper

stakeholder consultation process, and were not peer-reviewed by the HCVRN.

In 2013, APRIL commissioned yet another consultant, PT. Remarks Asia, to conduct a

new HCV assessment of the concession while continuing to clear natural forest. On 22

November 2013, APRIL presented to WWF a “close to final” map of HCV areas

6 | EoF (20 November 2014) APRIL/RGE continues deforestation.

and agreed with WWF that these areas would be protected until proper review

by the HCV Resource Network. Interestingly, the identified HCV areas had already lost

around 1,600 ha of natural forest by 8 October 2013, even before the assessment report

was finished (Map 3, Map 4a).

On 28 January 2014, APRIL published its SFMP. Since that day, PT. RAPP continued to

clearcut natural forest in violation of the SFMP commitments I.a. and I.b., without any of

their HCV consultants completing an independent, transparent and credible HCV

assessment. All lacked strict adherence to the Indonesian HCV Toolkit, the required

stakeholder consultation process and committed peer-review by the HCVRN.

In August 2014, APRIL shared with WWF a “final” HCV assessment report by PT.

Remarks Asia, dated 14 July 2014. Still without peer-review by the HCVRN, PT. Remarks

Asia had updated its November 2013 report by modifying HCV areas. The biggest change

in this “final” report was the removal of close to 2,700 ha of the HCV areas delineated in

the November 2013 report. These areas in 2013 had been identified as being HCV 4.1

(Map 4b). The only explanation for the change given to WWF by APRIL staff was that the

company had decided that only HCVs 1, 2 and 3 are to be protected but HCVs 4, 5 and 6

can be cleared. Interestingly, PT. RAPP had cleared natural forests in most of the HCV 4.1

delineated areas before the “final” report was given to WWF. In addition, the “final” HCVF

delineation was almost identical with the “conservation area” delineations in the

company’s 10 year logging and management plan (RKU). That was legalized by the

government on December 17th 2013, seven months before the date of the “final” HCV

report. It thus appears that APRIL first got its logging plans approved and then delineated

its HCVs accordingly, exactly opposite to what the HCV principle is all about.

By 3 October 2014, the concession had lost around 21,000 ha of natural forest, mostly

due to the company’s own operations in violation of various government regulations. The

rest was lost due to clearance by local people. Of the total forest loss, 8,000 ha were

cleared after the SFMP publication. HCV areas identified by PT. Remark Asia’s November

2013 (Map 4c) and July 2014 HCV reports (Map 4d) lost 3,260 ha and 1,250 ha of natural

forests, respectively. Of these total forest losses in the respective HCV areas, around 870

ha and 580 ha were lost after the SFMP publication. Interestingly, APRIL did not even

follow its own limited interpretation of the HCV concept and cleared around 440 ha of HCV

1 and/or 3 based on both November 2013 and July 2014 reports.

Landsat images of 27 October, 4 and 12 November also showed continued natural forest

clearance in the southern part of the concession.

7 | EoF (20 November 2014) APRIL/RGE continues deforestation.

Map 4.—Status of HCV areas according to two “final” versions by PT. Remarks Asia assessment reports (22 November 2013 and 14 July

2014) and deforestation (DEF) in PT. RAPP Pulau Padang concession during three different periods: before 8 October 2013 (before the

first November 2013 HCV assessment report was finalized), before the SFMP publication (between 8 October 2013 and 28 January 2014)

and since the SFMP (between 28 January and 3 October 2014).

a. 8 October

2013 status of

Nov 2013 HCV

b. July 2014 HCVA in comparison with

Nov 2013 HCVA

a. 8 October 2013 status of Nov 2013 HCVA

c. 3 October 2014 status of Nov 2013

HCVA

d. 3 October 2014 status of July 2014

HCVA

8 | EoF (20 November 2014) APRIL/RGE continues deforestation.

4. Continuing conflict with the local community

The SFMP also writes that “APRIL establishes partnerships with local communities as part

of its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility” (Commitment V). However, the

reality on the island is far from this.

When PT. RAPP started operations on the island in mid 2011, they immediately caused

conflicts with the local community. In January 2012, after weeks of protest in Jakarta,

Pulau Padang residents from several villages including Bagan Melibur village in Merbau

sub-district who had sown their mouths shut in protest against PT. RAPP’s operations on

their customary land convinced the Ministry of Forestry to temporarily suspend the forest

clearance operations18.

On 21 March 2013, the Ministry of Forestry issued a Decree (No. 180/Menhut-II/2013) to

allow PT. RAPP to resume operations after removing three villages (Bagan Melibur,

Mengkirau and partly Lukit village) from the concession’s operational area. However,

conflicts between the company and Bagan Melibur village restarted and continued despite

the new SFMP. The villagers argue that the company is still operating in the village’s

administrative area as shown on the original Bengkalis District village boundary map of

200619 (today, Pulau Padang is part of the expanded Kepulauan Meranti district).

Bagan Melibur villagers have repeatedly protested against the company, but it continued

its operation. PT RAPP’s operators have often been escorted by police because of the

tensions. In October 2013, hundreds of people from six villages around the PT. RAPP

concession protested against the logging operations20 and requested MoF and company to

exclude 25,000 ha of administrative area of ten villages in Merbau sub-district from the

concession.

In the middle of September 2014, Bagan Melibur villagers protested against forest

clearance by PT. RAPP in their own administrative area21. According to Jikalahari this

violated an agreement the village had with the company for not operating inside Bagan

Melibur territory as long as there is no conflict resolution process and no compromise

being agreed.22

EoF learns that the decision by the Minister of Forestry to remove some areas from PT.

RAPP’s concession did not reduce the tensions because the addendum of SK 327 of the

year 2009 in the form of SK 180 of 2013 cannot answer people’s demands about forest

and peat land protection as well as other livelihood sources that they have in Padang

Island. Traditionally, Riau islands’ communities have been cultivating rubber and sago

plantations. A senator of the Riau Regional Representative Council says: “The coming of

companies will be destructive and threatening to the sustainability of their livelihood and

business. Communities who depend for their livelihood on agriculture and farming need

lands for their future grand-grandchildren. And also, the natural resources from the forest

are used as life support for them, such as timber which is wisely used as materials for

their housings. The forest has been well-preserved by them for decades.”23

Peat canal excavation by PT. RAPP is another concern of the community who are worried

about a future environmental catastrophe in this small peat island which actually should

be protected from massive forest conversion for acacia plantation development for the

pulp and paper industry’s expansion. Greenomics wrote about APRIL in 2012 “Clearing the

majority of natural forest on peat land is clearly nothing close to sustainable, no matter

what excuses they’re trying to sell. This absolutely will be disastrous if they keep

sacrificing natural forest and peat lands in Padang Island just for the sake of RAPP

material supply needs”24.

9 | EoF (20 November 2014) APRIL/RGE continues deforestation.

5. EoF recommendations to APRIL/RGE

EoF calls on APRIL/RGE and all of its wood suppliers to:

1. Stop clearing natural forest and developing peat not only in PT. RAPP’s Pulau Padang

concession block but also in all other supppliers’ areas in Indonesia25 to implement

its own commitments and respect all government regulations.

2. Commission new independent HCV assessments based on the Indonesia Toolkit of all

suppliers’ concessions. Have them peer-reviewed by the HCV Resource Network.

Conduct a transparent public consultation process.

3. Protect all potential HCS areas until an independent HCS assessment is completed

and the results are implemented.

4. Commission an independent and transparent third party audit to evaluate the

implementation of the SFMP and additional recommendations by stakeholders.

5. Stop all forest clearance and development activities untill the land disputes are

resolved.

6. Resolve social conflicts with the community applying the FPIC mechanism involving

independent CSO.

7. Support corruption eradication actions by all law enforcement agencies, especially

those relating to the company and its suppliers.

6. EoF recommendations to APRIL/RGE buyers and other business partners

Eyes on the Forest recommends companies to avoid risk of being associated with

deforestation, not to purchase and invest in the APRIL/RGE group until the group commits

to the above recommendations and an independent third party auditor confirms successful

implementation.

END

For more information, please contact:

editor(at)eyesontheforest.or.id

10 | EoF (20 November 2014) APRIL/RGE continues deforestation.

References

1 The concept of HCVF was first developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in 1999 as

their 9th principle as forests of outstanding and critical importance due to their environmental,

socio-economic, cultural, biodiversity and landscape value. See more at

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/how_we_work/conservation/forests/tools/hcvf_toolkit/ and

https://www.hcvnetwork.org/

2 APRIL (2005) Fact Sheet – Protecting High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF)

http://www.aprilasia.com/images/stories/hcvf.pdf

3 Eyes on the Forest (20 December 2012) Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL):

Riau, Sumatra’s biggest forest pulper 2009 to 2012 – questionable legality, social conflicts and

global warming.

http://eyesontheforest.or.id/attach/EoF%20(20Dec12)%20APRIL%20Riau%20Sumatras%20bi

ggest%20forest%20pulper%202009%20to%202012.pdf

4 Mongabay (18 April 2010) Paper company loses green certification after rainforest

destruction in Indonesia. http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0418-hance_april.html

5 Greenpeace (13 November 2009) Paper giant pulls out of Indonesia rainforest destruction.

Signal to world leadesr to end global deforestation.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/press/releases/paper-giant-pulls-out-of-indon/

6 Nine News (4 August 2011) Fuji Xerox cuts ties with logging company.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8281546/fuji-xerox-cuts-ties-with-logging-company

7 APRIL (28 January 2014) APRIL takes its Sustainable Forest Management Policy to a new

level. http://aprilasia.com/news/Press%20release%20Sustainability%20Policy.pdf

8 ARPRIL (28 January 2014) APRIL’s Sustainable Forest Management Policy.

http://aprilasia.com/news/APRIL%20SFM%20POLICY.pdf

9 For example, see WWF-Indonesia (30 January 2014) Advisory to Buyers and Investors of

RGE/APRIL.

http://awsassets.wwf.or.id/downloads/wwf__31jan14__april_buyers_and_investors_advisory_

en_final.pdf

10 Greenpeace (25 March 2014) APRIL continues with forest destruction despite new

sustainability policies.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/april-forest-

destruction-sustainability/blog/48658/

11 Mongabay (2 June 2014) WWF: RAPP Harus Hentikan Penghancuran Gambut di Pulau

Padang. http://www.mongabay.co.id/2014/06/02/wwf-rapp-harus-hentikan-penghancuran-

gambut-di-pulau-padang/

12 Greenpeace (8 July 2014). Singapore logger continues peat clearance despite fire threat.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/press/releases/Singapore-logger-continues-peat-

clearance-despite-fire-threat--Greenpeace/

13 GAPETA Borneo, RPHK and WWF-Indonesia East Kalimantan (20 May 2014) Joint Press

Release: APRIL violates its new sustainability policy, continues natural forest clearance on deep

peat in North Kalimantan.

http://awsassets.wwf.or.id/downloads/joint_pr_gapeta_rphk_wwf__april_tebangi_hutan_kaltar

a_190514_final__english_.pdf

14 GAPETA Borneo, RPHK and WWF-Indonesia East Kalimantan (20 May 2014) Natural Forest

Clearance Continues on Deep Peat in APRIL Supplier Concession.

http://awsassets.wwf.or.id/downloads/report_april_hcvf_clearance_continues__english__1.pdf

15 http://www.bkprn.org/peraturan/the_file/PP_26_Tahun_2008.pdf

11 | EoF (20 November 2014) APRIL/RGE continues deforestation.

16 Forestry Law number 41 year 1990 article 50 number 3, point c that everyone shall not be

allowed to fell trees inside forestry area in radius or distance by 500 (five hundred) meters

from bank of basin or lake

17 Riau Pos.co (4 January 2012) Kegiatan RAPP di Pulau Padang Distop Sementara.

http://www.riaupos.co/7616-berita-kegiatan-rapp-di-pulau-padang-distop-

sementara.html#.VCxVrRaHhrs

18 Eyes on the Forest (20 December 2012)

19 Goriau.com (6 October 2014) Masyarakat Desa Bagan Melibur Datangi Kementerian

Kehutanan.

http://www.goriau.com/berita/peristiwa/masyarakat-desa-bagan-melibur-datangi-

kementerian-kehutanan.html#sthash.PldQAe2V.dpuf

20 Mongabay.co.id (16 Oktober 2013) Menhut Tandatangani SK No 180 /2013, Warga Pulau

Padang Kembali Usir RAPP.

http://www.mongabay.co.id/2013/10/16/menhut-tandatangani-sk-no-1802013-warga-pulau-

padang-kembali-usir-rapp/

21 Goriau.com (6 October 2014)

22 Jaringan Masyarakat Gambut Riau (September 2014) Info Bagan Melibur.

23 DPD Senator from Riau, Instiawati Ayus on Mongabay.co.id (16 Oktober 2013) Menhut

Tandatangani SK No 180 /2013, Warga Pulau Padang Kembali Usir RAPP.

http://www.mongabay.co.id/2013/10/16/menhut-tandatangani-sk-no-1802013-warga-pulau-

padang-kembali-usir-rapp/

24 Greenomics (4 Jan 2012) APRIL must refrain from pulping peatland forest on a small

Indonesian island

http://www.eyesontheforest.or.id/?page=news&action=view&id=546

25 According to the 2011 KA ANDAL report by PT. RAPP, “Partners as timber suppliers consist of

companies in the forms of PT (limited company) and CV (limited partnership) amount to 64

firms, with the operation of HTR (hutan tanaman rakyat / community timber estate) in 26

projects, and in KUD cooperatives 1 project.” However, there is little transparency around

these suppliers.